podium panic

‘NO IT’S NOT!’

The Home Office on Monday said EU citizens arriving after cut-off “will be allowed to remain for a temporary period”.

Joseph Owens, IFG senior researcher, told the Sun: “The reality is free movement will need to continue after we leave the EU in March 2019, giving government time to prepare a replacement and to avoid a big burden falling on business and employers.

“The administrative task of registering 3 million EU nationals in two years is going to be enormous for the Home Office.

“They are saying they will have to develop a new IT system, that is going to take some time.”

PA

Pat McFadden, Labour backbencher and pro-EU campaigner, said devising a new system would be 'very challenging'

The IFG warned last week that the volume of EU-related legislation threatened to overwhelm the Government over the next two years.

Theresa May insisted on Monday that the Home Office was well equipped to deal with the task of registering 3 million EU nationals.

But critics point out the 3 million number is only an estimate provided by the Office for National Statistics – and that close family members will all be able to come to the UK before Brexit and remain in here for good.

The Government was urged to step in just three years ago when a passport backlog threatened thousands of Brits’ family holidays.

Theresa May tells Commons that EU citizens lawfully in Britain would be treated as British citizens after Brexit

Pat McFadden, Labour backbencher and pro-EU campaigner, said: “This is a massive task for the Home Office to establish a database for three million residents – and the need to all the bureaucracy of applications, processing and payments.

“In two years? It’s very challenging.”

Downing Street insisted all EU citizens living in the UK will be processed in time for Britain’s EU departure.

The PM’s official spokeswoman said: “We are confident the Home Office has the resources it needs”.